Written Answers Friday 29 August 2008

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives it is putting in place to encourage farmers to manage a percentage of their land for environmental purposes.

Richard Lochhead: The primary source of incentives and support is the Scotland Rural Development Programme 2007-13 (SRDP), worth £1.6 billion over the next seven years. This programme is intended to promote environmental, social and economic measures across the whole of rural Scotland. Around 70% of the total SRDP budget is allocated to help improve the environment and countryside through land management.

  Support for agri-environment measures is delivered through rural development contracts, which comprise land managers options and rural priorities. There is a wide range of options to offer support for farmers to manage their land for environmental purposes. Details of agri-environmental measures in the SRDP can be viewed on the internet at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/04/01115039/0.

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to reverse the reduction in acreage of set-aside land.

Richard Lochhead: We will take a decision on appropriate measures in the light of the responses to our consultation on the Future Implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland , views from our CAP health check stakeholder group and the outcome of the EU-level discussions on the CAP health check.

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to introduce a scheme similar to that in England where farm subsidies will be only paid where farmers leave a part of their land for wildlife.

Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government are aware of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ preferred option to require arable farmers to manage a small percentage of their land primarily for environmental purposes. Whilst this is clearly an option for Scotland, it would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of our consultation on the Future Implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland  which invites views on measures that should be taken to maintain the environmental benefits of set-aside. The consultation period runs until 5 September 2008, and we will take a decision on appropriate measures in the light of consultation responses, views from our CAP health check stakeholder group and the outcome of the EU-level discussions on the CAP health check.

Agriculture

Peter Peacock (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to counteract any loss of habitat for a range of declining wildlife as a consequence of a reducing acreage of set-aside land.

Richard Lochhead: We will take a decision on appropriate measures in the light of the responses to our consultation on the Future Implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy in Scotland , views from our CAP health check stakeholder group and the outcome of the EU-level discussions on the CAP health check.

Birds

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many delegates attended the seagull summit in Dumfries on 24 June 2008.

Michael Russell: A total of 64 delegates attended the gull summit held on 24 June 2008.

Crofting

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to undertake an independent and commercial assessment of the key recommendations of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Crofting.

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to concerns expressed by crofters about aspects of the report of the Committee of Inquiry into Crofting and, in particular, proposals related to the replacement of the Crofters Commission and a requirement for croft houses to be tied to residency through a real burden.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is currently giving careful consideration to its response to the recommendations in the report of the Committee of Inquiry on Crofting. We aim to publish our response in September 2008.

Education

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is re-examining the case of Thomas Smart, referred to in an article in The Herald on 1 August 2008, with a view to funding his postgraduate diploma in education course.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is re-examining the case of Thomas Smart, referred to in an article in The Herald on 1 August 2008, with a view to supporting his probationary year through the teacher induction programme.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers will make a statement or provide further information on the case of Thomas Smart, following the comments attributed to them in an article in The Herald on 1 August 2008.

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers will make a decision in the case of Thomas Smart, referred to in an article in The Herald on 1 August 2008, before his teaching course begins on 25 August 2008.

Fiona Hyslop: My officials have already met with solicitors and confirmed to Mr Smart’s family on 19 August 2008 that under current legislation there is unfortunately no scope for discretion in his case.

Enterprise

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the investment of public money in Vestas and its importance to employment in Campbeltown, what measures it will take to ensure that the manufacturing of wind turbines continues at the Vestas site.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Vestas and the facility at Machrihanish to the people of Campbeltown and to the economy of Kintyre. Vestas is currently in consultation regarding the future of the facility and we are in dialogue with the company to understand its intentions.

  Every effort will be made to encourage and support Vestas to retain manufacturing and production facilities at the Campbeltown facility. However, we are also seeking to identify other potential occupiers for the facility from the energy sector and other engineering related uses that are able to utilise the highly skilled local staff should Vestas decide to end production. The Scottish Government is working alongside Scottish Development International, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and others to ensure the best possible outcome for the people of Kintyre.

Enterprise

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money was spent on helping to set up the Vestas wind turbine factory at Macrihanish.

John Swinney: Vestas procured the buildings at its Machrihanish facility with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) funding the construction to a capped sum of £9.54 million. The buildings belonged to HIE on their completion and were leased to Vestas for the period 28 March 2002 until 31 December 2012, at full market rent. Subsequently various improvements were undertaken to the facility funded by HIE at a cost of £678,000 in return for an increase in the rent to be paid by the company. The total construction cost was £10,218,000 and the annual rent paid by Vestas is £546,585.

  In addition to the property spend, funding support was granted to Vestas on five occasions from 2002 to 2005 totalling £668,500.

Justice

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when a fully transparent complaints procedure concerning the Scottish Judiciary will be in place and what the details of that procedure will be.

Kenny MacAskill: The Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill, currently being considered by the Parliament, recognises the Lord President as head of the judiciary in Scotland with responsibility for the training, welfare, deployment and conduct of the judiciary.

  The bill sets out a framework of powers to deal with inappropriate judicial conduct leaving it to the Lord President to determine the details in rules which will be published. The bill also provides for both the complainer and the member of the judiciary being complained about to have the right to have an independent person review the administration of the case to ensure that the set procedures have been followed. That independent person, who will be appointed by the Scottish ministers, will be called the Judicial Complaints Reviewer.

  The bill completed stage 2 in June 2008, stage 3 is scheduled for September 2008. Once enacted, it will be for the Lord President to establish a transparent and easily accessible judicial complaints procedure to deal with any matter concerning the conduct of a member of the judiciary.

Local Income Tax

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the analysis of submissions to its A Fairer Local Tax for Scotland consultation.

John Swinney: We expect to complete analysis of the responses to the consultation paper within the next month. Once this is done, we will make public the individual responses, where respondents have agreed to this, in the Scottish Government library and on our website and we will also publish the analysis of the responses.

NHS Staff

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of newly qualified physiotherapists found employment in (a) 2006 and (b) 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally held. Current workforce statistics are collected by Information Services Division Scotland, these indicate a steady increase in the number of qualified physiotherapists in post in NHSScotland, from 1,937 whole-time equivalent (WTE) in 2003 to 2,527.9 WTE at September 2007. However, these statistics include all physiotherapists and do not relate specifically to new graduates. Latest available NHS board workforce planning projects an 6.9% increased demand for physiotherapists over the next three years, from 2,138 WTE to 2,286 WTE.

Wildlife

Bill Wilson (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend Schedules 1A and A1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended, and when it expects to consult on any proposals for amendment.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government will shortly issue a consultation document with proposals to revise the species of bird listed in Schedules 1A and A1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Wildlife

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to conduct a review of the Game Acts and, if so, when the review will commence, what its timescale will be and what opportunities will be available for stakeholders to make a contribution.

Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does intend to conduct a review of the Game Acts, which will commence before the end of the year. Early tasks will be to assess the scope of work required and to set a realistic timeframe. Part of the process will be a public consultation, providing stakeholders the opportunity to contribute.